8.31.2012

Though every "Love You" post is special to me, Kim's holds an extra special spot because we went to high school together. However, with a only two large high schools in town, Kim and I did not know each other super well, but I have come to know her much better through her beautiful blog kimberlyloc. An expert, especially, in all things beauty, I love checking in with Kim throughout the week to get the latest tips and tricks on products and style. Read on to see all the reasons why I find her to be an inspiration in the lessons of self love.

"While it’s easy for us to point out the flaws in ourselves and in others, it’s not as easyto highlight the truly wonderful things about ourselves without feeling cocky.

I chose to share things about myself that people have, over the years, pointed outabout me that are beyond the “You are so lucky you have naturally straight hair,” orthe “I can’t believe you never had braces.” Because, you know, the critic in me evenhas me thinking “yeah, but…” about those seemingly positive attributes.

These five characteristics help define who I am as a person, and are things that Itruly love about myself. I hope I can inspire you to find your best qualities, repeatthem out loud every day and own them!

I’m independent.

I grew up with three older brothers, but because there were such huge age gapsbetween us (10 years, 9 years and 6 years), all my brothers were out of the house bythe time I was 12.

This really shaped who I have become as a young woman, because I was sort ofalways on my own. My parents also taught me that you have to rely on yourself toget what you want.

I love that my independence has allowed me to make big decisions in my life — andI know that this independence will continue to help me make big leaps on my ownterms, not someone else’s.

• Things like deciding to be the only person in my family to go to college out of

state.Things like having the courage the quit jobs in a weak economy because theyweren’t feeding my creativity and needs.

I chalk those things up to my developing a strong, independent personality thatallows me to say, “hey, it’s OK to do your own thing and make sure YOU are happy.”

I’m outspoken.

Your 20s are all about learning how to manage your voice. As a young, professionalwoman, I love the idea of being bold and owning my ideas. We don’t have enough ofit in our generation and gender, and I love that I am comfortable enough in my ownskin to be the outspoken person in a group.

Being an outspoken person doesn’t mean I just talk without thinking. I learned inmy first career as a magazine editor to put a filter on it and pick your battles. But I

learned that after I made bold statements and expressed myself. Would I change anyof the decisions I made back then? No. Have I learned from them and fine-tuned myboldness? Absolutely.

I love being the person who challenges ideas, and I love that I can inspire otheryoung, professional women to use their brains and their voices to help createchange.

I’m friendly.

My friends make fun of me because I’m the girl who has a “friendly chat” with theperson at the grocery store, bar or checkout line and ends up making that person(usually an awkward male or old man) think I’m flirting with him.

I love making people feel comfortable, and I enjoy engaging people in lightconversation. Even though my friends make fun of me, I love this about myself —I’ve never met a stranger, and I enjoy talking to people.

And hey, you never know whose day you might make by just taking a minute toengage in some small talk.

I’m interested.

I studied journalism and sociology in school because I’m fascinated by people’sstories and what makes them tick.

No matter who I meet (and this goes along with the point above), I can findsomething to latch onto (aka obsess about) with someone. Being interested inpeople other than yourself or your idols is good for you, because you embodycompassion, and it’s good for the other person, because they feel special.

I think this is a win-win, and I love this about myself because rarely am I bored withsomeone…there’s always something to be interested in … you just have to approachpeople from different angles and meet them where they are!

I’m emotional.

As outspoken and independent as I claim to be, I’m also a huge softie.

I’ve been known to cry at weddings, get misty-eyed when I leave my mom’s houseand allow hot tears to run down my face during sad or inspiring commercials. I don’tmind, though, because I’ve learned that feeling your feelings — and expressing themwhen needed — is healthy and productive."

Favorite quote of this post, "I love being the person who challenges ideas, and I love that I can inspire other young, professional women to use their brains and their voices to help create change." As someone, who has struggled sometimes with feeling a little TOO outspoken, especially at work, this quote hit me hard. It is so important to remember that if we are not speaking up we cannot even begin to create change. Thank you Kim for such a lovely feature. Sending lots of love your way. Happy Friday, lotsa love...J

8.30.2012

I love, love all the rooms in Tory Burch's apartment that Michelle sent me yesterday from this sweet site. I too am in love with this sweet little Etsy clutch, and the killer pillow Michelle found. Happy Thursday sweets...J

8.29.2012

Shmants? Is that even the right spelling? I am sorry if I have already confused you. My answer to beating that "it's hot, I'm hot, I'm over summer" feeling....don't wear pants. Seriously don't. I mean sure a pant can keep you warm at night, but in my opinion they are rarely winning on a hot summer day. So no surprise, I was running around this weekend in a dress that I am pretty sure is a top, but to make myself feel better, I call it a dress. Did I mention that I got to meet my first fellow Nashville blogger this weekend? Her name is Jessica, she lives in Nashville, works at Vanderbilt, and is originally from Arkansas, so I was not surprised at all to find that she was delightful. We have a Nashville blogger meet up in the works with an amazing event sponsor. More details to come. But if you are a fellow Nashville blogger, leave your email and site in the comments, so we can make sure to include you. Happy Wednesday lovelies...J

8.28.2012

Today I am feeling the purple love. I am thinking I have my new purple African Violet that is in my office to blaim for the hue love, but today I wish I was waltzing down THIS hallways in THAT outfit. Any hue you have been super drawn to lately?? Happy Tuesday....J

8.27.2012

So I pretty much was living in these sweet little red flats this weekend. I am madly trying to get ready for some weekend guests, so my weekend was filled with running errands. I was browsing the J.Crew website the other day, and fell in love with one of the new LuLu Frost for J.Crew necklaces, but really wanted to see it in person before purchase. I have made friends with one of the personal shoppers in the Nashville J.Crew, and she is so great about always pulling things for me, but never being pushy about purchase. I got a message from her Friday evening saying someone had returned the very necklace I wanted to the store, and she had put it back for me to see before sending it back. Needless to say it was not a hard sell. I have mad love for LuLu Frost, and loved this necklace so much I piled it right on top of the DahliaLynn vintage necklace I was already wearing. What do you think...too much? Happy Monday sweet friends...J

8.24.2012

Hi sweet readers! I am happy to say that I am really starting to feel like my old self again, after almost a week of being sick. I don't know a better way to start off my weekend than to share with you the newest addition to the DahliaLynn "Love You" Series, Ms. Brittany from ittybittybomb. I have been admiring Brittany's style for awhile, but came to admire even more the love that is inside this gal {who is cute as a button}, after a post that she did a little while back that she will share with you below. I was right in the process of reaching out to bloggers about the "Love You" series, and I was so excited to connect with her. Brittany is such an inspiration for self love. So without another moment passing, please read on to meet this amazing woman.

"Hi there DahliaLynn peeps, I’m Brittany from ittybittybomb and it’s so nice to {virtually} meet you! When Jessica contacted me about participating in her new series “Love You”, it couldn’t have come at more perfect time in my life. Recently, I went through some huge changes in my life, and it’s a new chapter of accepting what makes me unique and discovering what I love about me. So here it goes…

#1 I love my “new” hair. Long story short, {pun intended} I am now rocking a pixie cut. And even though I’m still the same gal I always was, having short hair has me seeing the world in a completely new way. For one, there’s no more hiding behind locks of hair—which can be scary. The feeling of exposing ones face for the world to see has been one of the most liberating {and scary} experiences I have ever gone through. It’s my proclamation to the world to accept me as I am, and that feels awesome. With short hair, I’ve found my style evolving…wearing combinations of edgy and more feminine pieces and adding fun statement earrings in the mix.But one thing is certain; I have never felt more “me” in my entire life.

Oh and in case you’re interested in reading about the long story of it, feel free to read my story here.

#2 I love that I get lost in my head. I have a tendency to get fixated on whatever intrigues my interest at the moment, but that also means bouncing around from one thing to another. But my mind is always going, always tinkering away to plot ways to keep myself busy, solve a problem, or to remind myself of something hilarious that happened a week ago.

#3 I love that I can laugh at myself. I often find myself in did-that-just-happen moments and if I took myself too seriously, I would probably be hiding under a rock. I’m a goofy person at {most} times; you know the usual tripping over the sidewalk while wearing flats, running into a wall/door/anything, or saying something so random that I’m the only one laughing. But through all of my silly mishaps, at least I’ve got some pretty funny stories.

#4 I love my approach to find beauty…in all things, even if it’s really hard. Ever since my alopecia {see #1}, I adopted a new mantra to seek the beauty in everything. With this approach, I am constantly finding myself inspired by the world around me. ♥"

So do ya love her yet? There are so many things that I love about Brittany's loves, but my favorite piece today is when she admits that the approach to find beauty in all thins, is "really hard." As much as I hope this series always leaves you with a big warm and fuzzy feeling, sometimes finding beauty in ourselves is tough, but like Britany says, that is completely ok. Just want to say a big thank you to Brittany for sharing today. I hope everyone has an amazing weekend. Lotsa Love...J

8.23.2012

So today I am over at the darling blog A Piece of Toast, sharing not only what I wish I will be wearing for Fall, but a couple of things about myself. I met Molly, who is half of the stylish brain over at A Piece of Toast, at Alt. Summit last year. As side from being simple gorgeous, I was so drawn to her bubbly personality. She is one of those gals that you know must always be the life of the party. One of my favorite things about A Piece of Toast is that it is run by two sisters. Many of you that are regulars here at DahliaLynn know the mad love of I have fore my baby sister, who is my best girlfriend in the whole world. So I always love to see what other sister duos are up to. How special that Molly and Sally get to share such a beautiful piece of the internet over at APOT. I am so excited that this year I will get to catch up with Molly and meet Sally at Alt. Summit. I just want to take a moment to thank the sweet sisters for having me as a guest on APOT today. They were too kind in their introduction of me to their sweet readers, and they have reminded me how lucky I am to have blog buddies in so many parts of the country. I hope you will pop over to APOT today to check out my guest post and Molly and Sally's amazing blog. Happy Thursday again loves...J

Happy Thursday Loves! I can't tell you how much I love this little reading nook, I found on pinterest here. The Chinese Lantern is probably me favorite part, and I love that Michelle and I both found pieces that stayed consistent with the look. Get excited for another post today. My gift to you since I have been out sick:) Happy Thursday...J

8.22.2012

I was out sick again today. It is driving me crazy being sick. But this afternoon I dragged myself to the living room {which I am now calling the parlor because I think it is more fun} to prepare for a guest post I am doing tomorrow. As I was looking through old photos, I decide to put a couple of my pictures on rerun today. I love to do this every once in awhile. I feel like it is a mini movie of the blog over the past few months. It also helps me out since I have been in no state to be photographed for almost a week now. Which look is your favorite? Happy Hump Day...J

8.21.2012

Sorry I missed a day yesterday, but I have been out sick this week. I wish I could sit here and tell you I have been running around the house in heels like in THIS look whipping up delicious meals in a kitchen like THAT. The reality, however, has been that I have been sprawled out in my bed, burried under a mountain of Kleenex with takeout, Netflix, and my puppies to keep me company. That is real life for me right now. Hope you all exscape the last summer cold that seems to be being passed around in my neck of the woods...J

8.17.2012

Sooo..... thank you for stopping in once again to read DahliaLynn's newest series, LOVE YOU. Every Friday, I am here with some of my favorite gals, who are sharing what they love about themselves. Today meet Alexandra from Ave Styles. Like many of my blog buddies, we met at Alt. Summit last year. Alex is such a sweetie pie, and I was thrilled the last time we got to grab drinks when I was visiting Phoenix. She and her husband have a little one on the way, if you didn't guess from the pictures. Is she not the cutest little momma-to-be?? Read on to find out what Alex is loving about herself.

"I’m SO glad to be a part of this wonderful series Jessica is doing on her blog! As a fashion stylist, I get to spend many days helping men and women feel wonderful about their unique appearance and style. So, it’s a quite refreshing to take a moment and celebrate the things I love about myself too.

I love being a dreamer // Growing up as an only child my imagination was the thing that kept me occupied the most. I can remember talking to myself for hours in the mirror pretending I was a newscaster, an Oscar recipient, a famous singer...You name it and I probably dreamed about being it. Even at 28 I sporadically find myself lying on the floor of my bedroom staring at the ceiling dreaming about what the future may hold. Without this quality I would be directionless - lacking goals for myself, my business and my family. Dreaming is never wasted time. Instead it rejuvenates my soul, my creativity and my passion.

I love that I’m a neat freak // Most creatives I meet are pretty messy. Their closets are cluttered, their cars are trashed, and forget ever finding anything on their desk....Nope, not me. I am a neat freak and I LOVE it. For me, I find that I cannot even begin to conceptualize photo shoots or other creative projects until my space is spotless. De-cluttering my surroundings helps me "de-clutter" my brain. Besides, who doesn’t like a couch with the pillows fluffed or a bed neatly made up? Of course, I may not always love the process of cleaning, but the result is enough to motivate me.

I love that I am real // Life is too short to be fake and to have shallow relationships. Everyone appreciates authenticity, and I feel like our society is crrraaving it. It’s very easy to hide behind our laptops and cell phones only showing the best of ourselves all of the time. I think people have this idea that they can get away with it in person too. Not with me. I don’t wear masks, and my face cannot tell a lie even if I wanted it too. Maybe I’m guilty of being an over-sharer, wearing my heart on my sleeve and being too loud at times, but I know no one ever walks away after hanging out with me wondering what is really going on in my heart, my mind and how much I enjoy them.

I love that I’m an encourager - As a fashion stylist, half of my job is curating different fashions, and the other is encouraging men and women. That’s why I think I have the BEST job in the world. Who wouldn’t want to spend their days empowering people to feel comfortable in their own skin and outwardly express their emotions and personality?! I love when I meet a client that is feeling down about themselves, and I can help flip that frown upside down by encouraging them in their individuality and beauty.

I love my personal style - Your innate personality, life experiences and cultural heritage all come together to influence your personal style. So, I suppose, fully loving myself is loving my east coast prep mixed with Palm Springs glam fashion taste. haha. Yep! That’s the best way to describe my style. I grew up with parents who are from New England, so I spent most of my summers visiting family in Rhode Island and New Hampshire. But I was born in Los Angeles, have lived in Houston, Texas and now reside in Phoenix, Arizona. So, I’m basically a laid back, feminine prepster that enjoys all things mid-century modern and contemporary with touches of glam here and there."

Like all the "Love You" posts, it is hard to pick a highlight. But I love that Alex love's her ability to be an encourager. The fact that she has poured her heart and soul into a career that lets her build others up is inspiring. Thank you Alex for visiting with us today. Any of you out there want to share what you are loving about yourself today?? Happy Friday...lotsa love...J

8.16.2012

I can't tell you how much I am in love with this look Michelle found on pinterest. As you know, any mix of patterns is a friend of mine, so this look is such an inspiration. My favorite pieces in today's look have to be the leopard stools and heels. Too cute!! Happy Thursday...J